No idea if this was intentional, but if it was, it’s simple … and brilliant.

Walked out of Union Square subway station today and into Food Emporium to get groceries, like the domestic boyfriend that I am.

And first thing I noticed is the ‘Grab n Go’ station. PLEASE tell me whomever designed this store did this on purpose.

People commuting at the beginning and end of the day who want something quick to grab and go to / from the office. It makes total sense.

So why do I give a shit about this? If it was intentional, it’s someone thinking like the consumer.

Most supermarkets have some stupid fruit aisle or long walkway up towards cash registers when you walk in. Antithetical to your shopping needs.

Instead, right outside a subway, whomever planned this put the commuting consumer needs FIRST and made this the first thing you hit when you walk in that entrance.

And that says a lot about a brand.

Whether you’re a grocery store, Under Armor or restaurant, tailoring your retail to what most benefits the consumer (rather than manipulates them) is f-ing awesome. Good for business because it’s good for the consumer.

“The cab driver was incredibly knowledgeable about the difference between Virgin and Sky in every feature. We were learning a lot there. Then when we to the Sky store, we spent at least an hour going through every feature and comparing it to our own … We were really terribly impressed.”

Lesson here? Whether you’re working for a haircut company, mop-manufacturer or considering buying a TV network for $31B, just go out and try the product, hear how salespeople pitch it and ask people what they think.

You’ve got a fan base (aka customers). You rise or fall in the standings, as does your revenue (like being publicly traded). And fans have no shortage of opinions on the team (aka customers + shareholders).

But regardless of which you are, fostering the relationship with your customer helps maintain a great, sustainable relationship and reminds them you truly value their business.

So whether that’s a brand responding to you in social to help repair a bad customer experience (think Uber or Amazon) or Glen Sather (GM of the NY Rangers) writing an open letter to fans about the state of the team, it helps foster my fan hood (aka brand loyalty).

An awesome lesson in transparency that is both self-aware and relatable.

Yes, Internal Audit. I hated it. It was a total mismatch for my personality. Some great learnings in hindsight and amazing bosses, but not for me long-term.

I badly wanted to get into the VC world and work with startups. I dug the energy and teamwork and risk and pace.

So I reached out to college alumni for connections and advice. And a VP at Google Ventures responded. A f-in VP at Google Ventures – amazing.

I asked him for advice on how to make the transition. But I don’t remember any of those answers. Instead, I remember one thing he said when I asked him what career advice do you have:

Start a blog. And see where it takes you.

So tonight, when grabbing dinner with a friend who’s looking to make a jump between companies and maybe industries, I said the same thing.

Blogs show people HOW you think, which you just can’t get from a resume. It’s like a better interview into how you are and what your potential is, so a company knows if you’re a potential fit before wasting their time (and yours).

It also helps you build a personal brand. Who gives a shit if it doesn’t directly lead to a job. People may start reading it and follow you and recommend you to other people (or things to you when you need it).

And who gives a shit if no one reads it. Because as this VP said, it’ll show you what you’re interested in. It’ll change a million times, just like his blog did, but it helps flesh out your interests and thinking.

Want free career advice? Start a blog and see where it takes you. And put it in your email signature.

That’s a loaded statement. I don’t actually know that. I’m not an expert. I’m also not saying anything that’s new.

But common sense, a few headlines and practical time spent on these platforms makes it obvious.

Facebook is the latest example. You don’t even have to read the article, just the headlines:

Layman’s terms: Facebook wants to go back to its roots. Less of an ad platform with publisher content / news, more of a place to connect with friends, family and local areas. AKA more personal.

So when publishers have a harder time getting their shit in front of their audience, they need individuals to do so. AKA influencers.

And for good reason. Influencer content already does well, as evidenced by the below:

So if you’re a publisher, company, brand, winery, whatever – what does this mean?

Lean more on your existing influencer network. Then grow it to find more influencers who make sense for your brand. These influencers should be creative, communicative with you as a client and powerhouses of content. Then deploy the content on channels like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, etc. – whether the brand channel or influencer channels (with shout-outs). I’m not saying anything new or groundbreaking, but doing more of it today will be more effective than ever.

Want a sign of the times with this Influencer shift?

Check out Danielle and Ryan and @theguidinglens. They’ve got a relatively small social following (800 on IG at the beginning of the partnership). But they’re a good-looking, fun Millennial couple who wants to explore the world and buys into a mobile, minimalist lifestyle.

Now think about Airstream. A brand who did well with our grandparents / parents, but now wants to connect with Millennials as they age up, have more disposable income, continue to be mobile / explorative, work remotely / freelance and become increasingly open to a minimalist lifestyle.

Regardless of who contacted who, Airstream likely thinks “Well we’ve got these young peeps who are cool and want to explore. Even though they don’t have a massive following, they can create content for / with us which won’t look like an ad and make us more relatable to Millennials. And then we can post that content on our channels or whitelist it and boost their following to help spread our message. And it’ll likely be more cost-effective (and authentic) than us trying to do it ourselves with hired talent.”

Influencers that align with the brand, check. Young, active and creative, check. Cheaper alternative than shooting that content ourselves, check.

Moral of the story? Platforms favor individuals’ content more than ever. Because as consumers, we have enough ads in our lives. Meaning it’s the best time for influencers to grow their own brand while helping brands grow theirs. And the Airstream example is a great example of this.

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